That this year's presidential campaign would be unusual - and unusually nasty - became evident to most observers some time ago. But in recent days, it has sunk to new levels of corrosiveness and ugliness. The most significant moment of the race thus
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That this year’s presidential campaign would be unusual – and unusually nasty – became evident to most observers some time ago. But in recent days, it has sunk to new levels of corrosiveness and ugliness.
The most significant moment of the race thus far arrived on the afternoon of Oct. 7, as many were gearing up for the long weekend.
A decade-old tape revealed Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s choice for the highest office in the land, describing behavior toward women that clearly constitutes sexual assault – and bragging that his fame has allowed him to engage in it with impunity. Trump’s rank misogyny is on further display in the recording, in words that do not need to be repeated here.
Over the weekend, the bottom began to fall out of Trump’s campaign. An appearance alongside House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin was scrapped, and Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence – who was in Newport for a fundraiser on Saturday – for a time went dark. Some speculated Pence would leave the ticket. Others revived long-shot hopes of Trump dropping out, or otherwise being replaced as the nominee.
A large number of prominent Republicans – including New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Arizona Sen. John McCain, and others up for re-election next month – at last abandoned Trump’s campaign, many after making uneasy peace with their party’s nominee justified as deference to the will of primary voters.
How did Trump, after a weekend huddled with his inner circle in the New York tower bearing his name, choose to respond?
He began with a deeply disingenuous, and deeply troubling, “apology” in which he dismissed his 2005 remarks as “locker room talk” – unwilling, or unable, to understand the nature of the actions he described.
After refusing to take responsibility, he moved on to what has been the other defining trait of his campaign. Before and during Sunday night’s debate, he blamed, and turned his venom on, others – specifically the media, his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
In one of the most disturbing moments of the night, Trump said if he were to win the presidency, he would seek to prosecute and imprison his opponent. This from a man who has previously said he will not accept the legitimacy of the election results if he loses, and who has casually invited an unfriendly foreign power, Russia, to interfere in our political process – which, apparently, it has.
We have before in this space laid out our profound opposition to Trump’s candidacy. That position has taken on more urgency than ever, as the months since that initial stance have only further demonstrated his utter unfitness for the office to which he aspires – and, indeed, made quite plain that he is nothing short of dangerous.
Trump’s conduct throughout the race has been an affront to our shared values and to the dignity of our electoral process. He is an accomplished performer and showman, and we suspect many supporters who would otherwise never have embraced his candidacy have done so at least in part with the belief that his words and deeds have been part of an act.
Friday’s tape and its fallout provide the most definitive evidence yet that there is no act, no feigned persona obscuring the real Trump. This is a man governed exclusively by unbridled ambition. This is a man with a shameless lack of regard, and a frightening lack of respect, for anyone or anything but himself. This is a man driven by an unearned sense of grievance, and an unyielding appetite for vengeance. This is a man willing to say, do, and use anything in furtherance of his own objectives, no matter the cost or consequences.
Trump’s debate performance – one that could be deemed a success only based on how low the bar had been set – somehow seems to have temporarily slowed the bleeding and staved off a more disastrous exodus from his campaign.
We strongly suggest that local Republican leaders, many of who continue to stand by Trump’s candidacy, look deep within themselves and reflect on their position in the days to come. We suggest voters pay attention as well.
For those on the ballot in November, it is easy to dismiss the conduct of the party’s presidential nominee as irrelevant to local contests. In a typical environment, we would be more sympathetic to such protestations. But this is no ordinary year, and Trump is no ordinary candidate.
Are we truly willing to tell our children, explicitly or implicitly, that someone of Trump’s character is fit for the most esteemed and important office in our republic? Are we truly willing to normalize the kind of rhetoric and conduct in which he has engaged? Do partisan considerations matter so much that we are willing to surrender all else?
This election is not a binary choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. This election is about whether or not we, collectively, will allow our nation to set out on a dark and perilous path. If we do, will not have Trump’s luxury of empty excuses and redirected vitriol. We will have only ourselves to blame, and there will be no turning back.
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davebarry109
A vote for the Clinton cabal of corruption will also set us on a dark path. The Clintons are an evil duo with scandalous pasts.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Report this
Justanidiot
Just remember that you do not vote for president, it is the electoral college. Write in Mickey Mouse for all that your vote counts.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Report this
TheSkipper
Hillary Clinton is the worst liar and corrupt politician since there ever was a presidential election.
She has the blood of four Americans already on her hands from The Benghazi Disaster, Dead Broke – In an interview, Clinton stated that she “came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt.” Something even the left-leaning Politifact found to be false.
Sniper Fire – During the 2008 campaign, Clinton said she came under sniper fire in Bosnia during the ’90s. She went so far as to claim her group ran “with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base.” Video of her actual arrival surfaced showing a very calm scene instead, and the Democrat would quickly say she simply misspoke.When discussing immigrant stories, Clinton asserted that “all my grandparents… came over here.” It was another story Politifact said was false, as only one of her grandparents was an immigrant.
Sir Edmund Hillary – Seems Clinton can’t even bring herself to tell the truth about her own name. She claimed to be named after Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first men to climb Mt. Everest. One small problem though, the explorer didn’t climb Everest until Clinton was 6 years old.
The Few, The Proud, The Marines – Very recently, Clinton claimed to have been turned down by the Marines when she applied in 1975. Washington Post fact-checkers quickly realized the absurdity that a rising legal star at the time, and soon to be wife of Bill Clinton, would drop everything and ship off with the Marines. They gave her a couple of Pinocchios for her tall tale.
Secret E-Mails – Former Secretary of State Clinton claimed her infamous private e-mail server was set up in “accordance with the rules and the regulations in effect.” A federal judge disagreed, saying Clinton “violated government policy” when she used a private server to store official State Department messages.
Benghazi – Clearly the most reprehensible lie of them all – Clinton failed to tell the truth about a terrorist attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi. She claimed for weeks, standing over the flag-draped coffins of murdered Americans, that an insensitive YouTube video had incited the violence that occurred that night. Why? Because a terrorist attack on the anniversary of 9/11 – which it was – would have destroyed President Obama’s re-election chances. But hey, at the end of the day it’s worth it to Clinton to tell a politically expedient lie, so long as her party can stay in power.
She has lied to congress and Lied about her use of a secured e-mail server which held top Secret Classified information. She ordered the deletion of over Thirty Thousand subpoenaed E-mails, which is a felony of such egregious proportion, she would be spending the rest of the miserable life in PRISON if the AGOTUS Loretta Lynch was not as corrupt as she was, and director of the FBI Comey didn't have his hands tied by Lynch to prosecute the criminal candidate. Hillary Rotten Clinton.
FURTHERMORE In 1975 Hillary defended a rapist of a twelve year old girl by a 45 year old man. She made the poor girl the subject of vitriol by accusing her of wanting the man to rape her because she fantasized about older men.
She was fired from the Watergate commision by her own boss on the prosecution side because her work was substandard and UNETHICAL!
Calling Hillary ROTTEN Clinton a better candidate than Donald Trump is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Report this
warwick10
Hillary is our worst choice ever! WIKIleaks prove her positions, validate her lies, and shows how she really identifies with the American people! Hillary Clinton condemns and attacksTrump for his words against women but defends her husbands actions against women! Self-righteous hypocrite!
Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Report this
Straightnnarrow
80% of MSM is in bed with Hillary and Slick Willy can tell you how satisfying that is.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 Report this
Kammy
No one can refute EITHER candidates past and their lack of ethics and morals. Honestly, I am struggling with this election and will probably do so until I enter the booth only to immediately regret my decision. I hate what we have been given for options.
That being said, as a mother of 2 daughters and a female myself, I have an extreme aversion to anything Trump. This did not start during this election. It started decades ago as I saw how he spoke on talk shows and any time a microphone was shoved into his face. He is a man with no respect for women except as someone to fulfill a physical need, regardless of consent apparently. I can't get past it and I can't go over it. I have never liked this man. And yet I cannot get behind Hillary either.
The American people are the real casualty in this election year. It shouldn't have come down to these two. I am disgusted by our politicians and politics. There simply has to be a better way.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 Report this
Justanidiot
Again, your vote for president counts for nothing.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 Report this
ThatGuyInRI
Well Skipper, Hillary Clinton very well may be corrupt, and a liar, probably other things as well but can we dismiss the superlatives? It's is annoying and ignorant to spout on about this one or that one being the worst or best whatever they are ever because they happen to live/lie/cheat/steal/whatever in the present. Hillary may be "crooked" in D.T.'s words but she doesn't hold a candle to people of the past. To wit:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ohio-Gang
http://www.history.com/topics/tammany-hall
http://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/teapot-dome-scandal
http://www.attn.com/stories/11743/most-corrupt-american-presidents-in-history
Want more? How many former RI mayors served time in prison for corruption...you know a few.
Anybody remember Ed DiPrete?
Call Clinton and or Trump whatever you want, when when you start using terms like "worst ever" blah, blah, blah, you prove how much you have in common with John Snow. That's a Game of Thrones reference if you don't get it...Google it.
Thursday, October 13, 2016 Report this
bniedfeldt
To quote your article "Are we truly willing to tell our children, explicitly or implicitly, that someone of Trump’s character is fit for the most esteemed and important office in our republic? "
Hillary has already shown us her willingness to sell out the office of the Secretary of State. Russia is now buying American uranium, SoS approved. Gifts to the Clinton Foundation will push you to the head of the line for meetings, 55 shown so far. One of those meetings was to have sanctions eased so a country could sell communications gear to Iran. She lead the charge to discredit the women who were assaulted by her husband. She lied to the Senate about her e-mails and turning over "all" work related e-mails - the FBI found 33000 deleted ones. She destroyed evidence that was under subpoena, the BleachBit removal tool and the 33000 found during the FBI investigation. Classified e-mail on her PRIVATE server, which she lied to Congress about. The judge that reviewed the documents had to stop because HIS clearance was not high enough, and this was on the papers "with no markings". (ps with my security clearance - if even one piece of possibly classified information went out on my phone - my clearance would be revoked immediately and I would be guilty until proven innocent. Happens to be the same regulations Hillary and her staff work under. )
So " Are we truly willing to tell our children, explicitly or implicitly, that someone of" Clinton's " character is fit for the most esteemed and important office in our republic? "
How can you hold your head up in church and claim ANY moral integrity when you are willing to support someone who's ACTIONS have shown their lack of integrity, honesty and good character?
Saturday, October 15, 2016 Report this